OUR CORRESPONDENT
ITANAGAR: President of the Arunachal Vikas Parishad, Techi Gubin, has been conferred with the Padma Shri, India’s fourth-highest civilian award, in recognition of his distinguished social service.
The list of awardees was announced by the Union Home Ministry on Sunday.
Gubin is among the 54 recipients selected from across the country for the Padma Shri Award 2026.
Gubin (62) retired as the Chief Architect of Arunachal Pradesh in 2024 and had also served as Director of Housing in the state government. He hails from Kebi village in Shi-Yomi district of the northeastern state.
At present, Gubin serves as the president of the Arunachal Vikas Parishad and holds the rank of national vice president of the Akhil Bharatiya Vanvasi Kalyan Ashram at Jaspur in Chhattisgarh. The soft-spoken social worker, who is currently on tour in West Bengal, said he was surprised by the announcement and had not expected the honour. “I have just received news from Delhi that my name has been selected for the Padma Shri Award 2026. This news is a surprise for me. I did not know who would have sent it or who would have recommended it,” he told PTI.
Expressing gratitude, Gubin said, “I would like to thank the Union government, the state government and the people of my state from the bottom of my heart. I have been a social worker since childhood. I do not work to earn money. Whatever I do, I do it to make people happy. I work because I like it. I will continue to do this work as long as I am alive.”
He also appealed to people to serve society selflessly.
“People should work selflessly for the cause of society without thinking of any benefits,” he added.
The Padma Shri Award was instituted in 1954 and is one of India’s highest civilian honours. It is awarded to individuals for distinguished service in diverse fields such as art, literature, education, sports, medicine, social work, science and engineering, and public affairs, recognising contributions that have had a significant impact on society.
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